INTERNS

"As a someone who enjoys uncommon experiences, interning for a law firm throughout my study abroad experience was no exception. I was very eager to step up to the plate and present myself to a new culture, stripping down the stereotypes and immersing myself further than just living and studying in the beautiful city of Rome, I was given a very unique opportunity to intern for Dong & Partners Law Firm, a Chinese-Italian firm that focuses on bridging the gap between Europe and Asia professionally and socioecomically. The mission of the company striked my interest and curiosity off the bat, especially as an international business major with prior knowledge and high interest in the Chinese culture and language. This opportunity gave me more insight into what my career could be, and gave me the opportunity to grow my current skills in marketing, as well as acquire skills with event planning, website design, navigating a server, and conducting research to write reports.

 

What set this internship apart from my other job experiences was that we were presented a list of tasks to complete by the end of the 6 weeks, and were responsible to self-direct our tasks. Initially it was challenging since I wasn't very familiar with some of the tasks, but the overall experience made me learn how to work independently, how to be resourceful, and how to manage my time effectively to meet specific deadlines. One big takeaway from this internship was how inspiring my boss, Lifang Dong is. Her humble beginnings and her intrinsic drive to push the mission of Dong & Partners and Silk Council is very admirable. One thing that stuck with me from the beginning of the internship, was how she emphasized the importance of being consistently connected, open to new perspectives, and being eager to learn so it can add and cultivate a global mindset.

 

I definitely would recommend this experience to any students who are looking to grow personally and professionally. The role definitely will allow you to step out of your comfort zone and will offer a better insight into what an international career would entail."

"Working at Dong & Partners Law Firm and Silk Council Association, I gained many experiences that made me into a better student and a stronger professional. For example, this was my first experience working in a corporate office, which helped me have a better understanding of business etiquette, more specifically, international business etiquette. Observing how this organization works with global clients, I learned what typically happens in these types of business trasactions. I also learned the feasibility of working with international clients, and see a clear possibility for me to pursue an international career.

 

During my time at Dong & Partners Law Firm and Silk Council, I strengthened many necessary skills required for the corporate world. One skill I improved on was time-management. I had to learn how to prioritize different tasks and work in a limited time-frame. My communication skills also improved, since I was collaborating with members of the team regularly. This internship also strengthened my leadership skills, since I was given a lot of responsibility and I acquired confidence from my duty of runnning all the social media accounts for Silk Council. I enjoyed my experience at Dong & Partners Law Firm and Silk Council. It would be beneficial for any student who wants to have an international career to intern here. Personally, I grew as a person and a professional during my experience."

“Working as an International Business Intern for Dong and Partners Law Firm and Silk Council Association has been a very rewarding and truly unique experience. Dong and Partners provides legal solutions and a one of a kind service for Italian companies, a direct link to China and its expansive and growing market. Silk Council brings together individuals and businesses interested in taking part in China's new Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Overall, interning in Rome at Dong and Partners and Silk Council has changed my semester abroad in Italy for the better. I have been able to foster new skills and improve upon existing ones, Each of which I plan on utilizing in my career in the future. Working for an Italian business has allowed me to further immerse myself into life in the city of Rome, gaining valuable learning and working experience along the way.

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As a result of working at Dong and Partners and Silk Council I have improved my organization skills, time management skills, and business writing skills. Browsing through online news articles to post on Dong and Partners' and Silk Council's social media pages allowed me to update myself bi-weekly on current events in the spheres of business and geo-politics. Working only two days a week forced me to actively work on balancing my time, making sure that I completed each of my weekly tasks in a concise, yet prompt, matter. Instead of just studying about it in University, I was able to take part in the active flow of international business interaractions  transpiring between China and Italy. I personally would recommend interning at Dong and Partners and Silk Council. Their global positions as stepping stones between China and Italy make them truly unique and rewarding places to work, at a time where global cooperation and synergization is becoming the norm.”

“I would suggest interning at Dong & Partners International Law Firm to other interns not only because of its location due to how close it is to Temple Rome but also Avv. Lifang Dong, although really busy during my interning period is considerate of the workload she gives and is very kind but also willing to have conversation pertaining any life questions or occupational questions you need answered as long as she is able to.

During the global health emergency due to Covid-19 I had also the opportunity to be involved in solidarity and media campaigns such as “Love China” and “Love Italy”, empowered by Silk Council Association that promoted many initiatives to support the image of China and Italy against fake news, social, economic and diplomatic impact, in order to relaunch the economy and to reduce the discrimination and racism against Chinese and Italian people. Silk Council has been very active and obtained the recognition not only from international community but also from Italian, Chinese and international public institutions.

It was also amazing to see the involvement of Silk Council and Dong & Partners in the Italian, Chinese and international community, which helps you to learn a lot about international affairs that may be happening in Italy, China and foreign countries as well as the potential exposure/experience possible from attending important events due to Ms. Dong’s influence in Italy, China and the Chinese community in Italy. For example, I had the great opportunity to participate to the round table: “Coronavirus: Doubts, certainties and Fake news” at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, jointly organized by Silk Council Association, Dong & Partners International Law Firm and Cultural Association Onlus Giuseppe Dossetti, where Ms. Dong was invited as guest speaker to represent the Chinese community in Italy. The event was very successful with the participation of representatives and experts from Italian and Chinese public institutions and the scientific, economic and civil community. Finally I had also the chance to work remotely even back to the USA after Covid-19 health emergency. This global health emergency gave me many opportunities to learn new interesting things, while studying and living abroad in Italy.”